Some Insights About Cover Letters and Resume Writing - CareerAlley

Some Insights About Cover Letters and Resume Writing - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. By John Sylo There are four aspects to the job search process: looking for job openings; applying to the job openings; attending the job interview; and evaluating the job offer. This article will focus on the second aspect, applying for a job opening. Two key documents are at play at this stage. The cover letter and the resume. Most job seekers know to send these, but dont truly understand their purpose and, thus, how to fully leverage their potential to move on to the next phase. The Cover Letter The key function of the cover letter is to introduce you. Think about this logically. The employer has a job opening and solicits qualified candidates. He puts a job posting and receives applications. He knows nothing about the candidates. He has nothing to go by, but the candidates cover letter and resume. He needs to narrow down the field to only a few. How will he make his decision? The odds are that he will use his intuition, based on what he has before him. This is where the cover letter plays a critical role. The cover letter is there to catch the employers attention by showing the employer that you have something different, unique, that deserves further attention. How do you catch the employers attention? A sure way is to show the employer that you are interested in the job and that you have the necessary qualifications. Regarding your qualifications, you dont have to elaborate upon them, your resume is there for that. However, you do need to address them and relate them to the job opening. Avoid the key mistake of sending out generic cover letters. If you lack inspiration, browse cover letter samples online to get you started. The Resume Once you have caught the employers attention with your cover letter, he will show more interest towards your application and thus will spend more time looking at your resume. Your resume is there to support your cover letter and seal the deal to the job interview. This is key. The resume is not there to land you the job. Employers will not hire after they look at your resume. They will hire you after they interview you. The resume needs to be clear, on point, and address the main requirements of the job you are applying to. The resume is not about showing your past work experience out of context. It is about showing your past work experience, as clearly as possible, in relation to the requirements of the job you are applying to. To see what others in your field have written, you can browse resume samples online. Conclusion When writing your cover letter and your resume, keep these basic concepts in mind. The cover letter and the resume go hand in hand. They form a pair. Make sure to write them so they leverage each others strengths. You would be surprised how many job seekers fail to do so. Good luck in your job search. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif